Cameroonian music is in mourning. Cameroonian musician Ekambi Brillant died on Monday, December 12, 2022 at Laquintinie hospital in Douala following a long illness.
After a medical stay in Turkey, the artist followed his convalescence in Douala and it was on this day that everything became complicated.
Ekambi Brillant had spent eight months in the military hospital and the general hospital before being treated abroad. He needed more optimal support.
The management of the Civil Cabinet had deemed it useful to initiate a medical evacuation for the singer at the expense of the State, for Régine his wife and him.
Last September, a rumor announced the death of the 74-year-old Cameroonian music baobab. “For the past few days, malicious spirits have been announcing my death. I ask those who play this morbid game to stop immediately. I want to reassure my fans; I am alive and well. I will leave this world only when our creator has decided and it is still for a very long time. Thank you all for your prayers and for your support.’ ‘, reassured the songwriter.
Who was EkambiBrillant?
Ekambi Brillant, whose real name is Ekambi Ekambi Louis Brillant (Mot’amuenya: The famous/distinguished man, in Douala), born June 18, 1948 in Douala and died December 12, 2022, was a Cameroonian artist, singer and guitarist .
Biography
Son of Ekambi Brillant, he is from Dibombari, a village very close to Douala. He spent his childhood with his maternal grandparents in Djébalè (suburb of Douala); this is where his passion for music was born, listening to the boatmen singing on their way out to sea.
In 1962, and against all odds because his father found it difficult to succeed in his studies, he was admitted to the entrance examination for the Lycée Général-Leclerc in Yaoundé. It was from there, under the watchful eye of Mr. Zane Daniel – a music teacher of French origin, that he learned music and particularly how to play the guitar.
In 1971, at the age of 23, he stopped his studies, in high school and went back to the city of Douala where he joined the orchestra Les Crack’s as a guitarist. This was at the nightclub Le Domino. He then entered the music competition launched by the Office de Radio diffusion Télévision Française (ORTF) and with other candidates such as Manu Dibango, Francis Bebey he became the winner. It is thanks to this prize that he released his first 45 rpm disc entitled Jonguèlè la Ndolo which recorded 20,000 sales.
He arrived in France in January 1972, with the support of Jean Dikoto Mandengué (Cameroonian bass player), and was produced by Phonogram and released his second 45 rpm disc which was also a success with 25,000 sales.
In 1975, he ended his contract with Phonogram and bonded to Slim Pezin with whom he released the album Africa Oumba with the title Elongui which was subsequently taken up by several other artists, both African and European. This album recorded a record of about 4 million sales (Diamond disc). Will follow collaborations with Slim Pezin as producer for the titles Soul Castel, Musunguédi.
Passing through Cameroon in 1976, Ekambi Brillant created his orchestra called Les Ebis (Ekambi Brillant Show) which he brought to France.
Ekambi Brillant has nearly 20 albums to his credit. He contributed to the emergence of several artists, both Cameroonian like Marthe Zambo, Valéry Lobé, Aladji Touré and Africans like Cella Stella, Angélique Kidjo.
Honors and decorations
Officer of the National Order of Valor – Presidential Decree No. 2009/024 of April 3, 2009